SIRENE — Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries

Function and organization

SIRENE (Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries) is the national bureau that handles supplementary information on SIS alerts and takes charge of international coordination when there is a hit in the SIS. In Germany, the SIRENE bureau is based at the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA) and is reachable around the clock.

Role in extradition proceedings

If a person who is the subject of an alert is encountered in another Schengen state, the SIRENE bureau there contacts the SIRENE bureau of the issuing state. That bureau coordinates the transmission of the EAW or extradition request and ensures that the formal requirements for a provisional arrest are met. For German requests sent abroad, the SIRENE bureau is a key channel of communication.

Practical relevance for the defense

Information about existing SIS alerts can be requested from the SIRENE bureau. Where an alert is erroneous, the SIRENE bureau is the first point of contact for a correction. Defense lawyers should clarify at an early stage whether their client is the subject of an SIS alert and on what basis.

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